


nicknames

by AlejandroAsher



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cute, Ficlet, Headcanon, Kissing, M/M, Nicknames, Post-Canon, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlejandroAsher/pseuds/AlejandroAsher
Summary: Based upon a headcanon I shared with a friend, whom this ficlet is dedicated to.Dante decides he wants to try out giving his new boyfriend affectionate nicknames.
Relationships: Aristotle Mendoza/Dante Quintana
Comments: 10
Kudos: 116





	nicknames

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostintheverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostintheverse/gifts).



> Hi!
> 
> I'm yucatanmafia and while I mostly write ODAAT fanfiction ~~I may or may not have been struggling to write Chapter 5 of my longfic so I wrote this instead, oops~~ I also love a lot more things other than ODAAT, and one of those things is Ari and Dante! I've finally finally finally decided to try my hand at writing Aridante fanfiction--I'd always been too scared to, because writing new characters in a fanfiction that you've never written before is always a little daunting. But now I've finally done it!
> 
> If you enjoy this, please let me know! I've got ideas for more Aridante fics (and potentially fics in Spanish, too... 👀) so a kudos/nice comment will let me know you'll want to see it!! :)
> 
> Here's just a little ficlet based on a headcanon I shared with my friend, [lostintheverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostintheverse). He's a great writer and an Aridante fan, too. Go check out his fic [_once you discover the secrets of the universe, the universe looks different_](https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/18902749/chapters/44871208) and then go check out the sequel, [_the day after (and the day after that)_](https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/19470853/chapters/46347529). He's super super nice and a great person.
> 
> Anyways, enough rambling, here's what I wrote. Enjoy.

**_dante quintana_ **

I never want to get up. Never.

It’s been about a week since that night here in the desert, when I almost did something really, really stupid. I had tried to end my relationship with Ari, tried to tell him that I couldn’t do it anymore and that it was too hard and there was no way that we could be friends if we weren’t boyfriends, too. And then he pulled me towards him and kissed me, and he kept kissing me and kissing me and kissing me and kissing me with such a raw, bold confidence I’d never seen in _anyone_ before, but especially not Ari Mendoza.

Taking a drive with Ari is an exhilarating experience now even more than it was before. He lets me cuddle up next to him while he’s driving. Cuddling with Ari is probably my new favorite thing to do (at least, it will be until he takes my virginity). It puts reading and swimming and beating my shoes up to shame. I get to wrap my arms around his torso and rest my head on his shoulder and breathe in his amazing scent and kiss his jawline and neck and cheek and sometimes lips, if I’m feeling daring. I feel on top of the world. The luckiest boy in the universe.

The desert air is cool tonight. Ari and I are in the back of his truck, again, and I’m snuggled up against him, breathing in his scent and dropping kisses all over his face and neck at random intervals, much like I do when he drives. _God, my boyfriend is so gorgeous._ His eyes are closed and he has a subtle grin on his face. He’s holding my left hand in his right hand. He looks peaceful, at rest. I almost don’t want to disturb him.

But of course, that’s impossible. I nuzzle my nose against his neck. “Hey.”

Ari opens his eyes. “Hey.”

“I was thinking about something.”

“Oh, really?” Ari wraps his arms around my midsection. His touch makes me want to burst and my face turns redder. It’s insane how he can do that to me just by pulling me closer.

Then again, he can and has done that just by looking at me, or speaking to me, or breathing in my general direction.

“Yeah,” I tell him. “How do you feel about nicknames?”

Ari turns his head to look at me. “I thought you hated them.”

“Yeah, but I meant those weird Mexican nicknames that we give each other that don’t make any sense. My family calls my mom Chole and her name is Soledad. That’s weird. But that’s not what I meant.”

A small grin emerges on Ari’s face. “Then what did you mean?”

“You know what I meant, dummy.” I kick his leg with my foot.

“Ow,” Ari murmurs with a smile.

“I meant nicknames that boyfriends give each other.”

Ari tilts his head and gives me a curious smile. Lots of different smiles tonight. I like it. “Boyfriends give each other nicknames?”

“I don’t know!” I tell him a little defensively. “I don’t know what _boyfriends_ do. I only know what _couples_ do. And we’re a couple, right?”

Now Ari smiles wide, showing his teeth. “Yeah, we are.”

_That’s such a wonderful response._

“Yeah.” I smile a smile twice as wide as his. “Things don’t have to be so different just ‘cause we’re two guys.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Ari places his hand on my cheek and pulls me just a little closer. Then he kisses my forehead, and I want to explode. “I guess it just depends on what the nicknames are. No one has ever called me anything but Ari.”

“I have the perfect nickname for you.”

"And what would that be?"

I smile and grin like a moron and bite my lip before I finally say it. _"Mi angelito."_

Ari blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Get it? 'Cause your real name is Angel?"

"No, I got it. I mean..." He trails off and starts laughing.

My heart kind of sinks for a little and slight panic starts to set in. _Maybe I’ve made a mistake. Maybe he thinks it’s stupid. No, he definitely thinks it’s stupid. I’ve made an idiot of myself._ "What?"

Ari sits up, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing. Really, I shouldn't."

"Laughing at what?" I can’t help but let the words come out of my mouth a little whiny.

Ari manages to contain himself long enough for him to be able to look up at my face. "Your accent."

"My what?"

"Your accent. When you speak Spanish." He puts his hands on my cheeks again. "It's so cute. You sound so white." And then Ari starts laughing again.

Ari finally is able to control himself when he sees my slightly hurt face. He kisses me on the nose and says, "I'm sorry, Dante. Really. I shouldn't have laughed." Ari smiles, trying to lighten the mood. "I just think you're super cute."

That makes me smile again. "I don't wanna sound white, though."

"Well, then you can practice."

"I don't think I'd be very good at Spanish."

"What the hell do you mean? You're the one who reads thousand-page books in your free time."

"You do that too."

"Yeah, because of you." Ari kisses me. "You'd be really good at learning a language."

I smile, and then frown happily. I liked it when Ari complimented me.

"So I can call you _angelito_?"

Ari exhaled through his nose. "As long as you promise to learn Spanish. 'Cause I never let anyone call me Angel. Not even my parents." Ari boops my nose and my heart subsequently skips a beat. "It's a privilege. Nicknames are a privilege."

"More rules, I see?"

"I didn't say that was a rule."

"You didn't have to." I smile wide yet again. "But okay. It's a promise."

“Good.” Ari kisses me again.

“I love you, _mi angelito_ ,” I tell him when we break away from the kiss.

“I love you too, Dante.”


End file.
